Crusader football season ends in Winfield

A couple of big plays put Wellington into a 14-0 hole halfway through the first quarter, and the Crusaders could never did their way out in a 41-18 loss to Winfield Thursday.

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Wellington Daily News - Wellington, KS

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Posted Oct. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 31, 2013 at 11:56 PM

Posted Oct. 31, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 31, 2013 at 11:56 PM

By James JordanWellington Daily NewsA couple of big plays put Wellington into a 14-0 hole halfway through the first quarter, and the Crusaders could never did their way out in a 41-18 loss to Winfield Thursday.The loss ended the Crusaders' season with a 5-4 record.Coach Tyler Ryan said he felt bad for the players, but he said he was pleased to see that they never gave up and kept fighting.“We had a small group of seniors who stuck with it. They kept in the game and battled,” he said.He also was happy with the way they kept fighting even with the strange plays that got them in a hole early in the game.First Winfield connected on a 58-yard scoring pass where a receiver caught the ball on a crossing pattern and outran the defense. Less than a minute of game time later, a Winfield defender intercepted a pitch to a running back and rambled 39 yards for a score.Before the first quarter ended Winfield fumbled deep n its own territory, with Wellington recovering at the Winfield one-yard line. The Crusaders could not punch the ball in with four tries from inside the five.Wellington got on the scoreboard in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Austin Dunn. A two-point pass failed and the score was 14-6.The Crusaders stopped Winfield and marched down the field again, helped by a 54-yard pass from Trevor Nance to Connor Phelps.Dunn scored from five yards out, and after not converting a two-point try the deficit was 14-12.Wellington got the ball back before the half, and Nance completed a 40-yard pass to Colin Reichenberger, and it looked like the Crusaders were in business. Reichenberger fumbled at the end of the long play, and a Winfield defender caught the ball in the air.Winfield then managed a 39-yard scoring pass before the half ended and led 20-12.Wellington started the second half with the ball, and drove quickly to the Winfield 15, but gave up the ball on downs without scoring.Winfield scored moments later to make it 27-12.Wellington got another touchdown in the fourth quarter, on a four-yard run by Dunn, but could get no closer.